"Meet the Family" - TV Pilot Starring Arthur Lake (1954)

This was Lake's attempt at duplicating the success of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" by featuring his real-life family. This was an unsold pilot for syndication. The only redeeming factors here are the guest cast, which included Hans Conried and Walter Catlett.

[@ginapike6468]

It's too bad it never took off. I really enjoyed watching this. Loved Arthur Lake in the Blondie series.

[@sallymizell1008]

Love it. Those were the days of clean, family television.

[@Buildsolarhomes]

Glad U posted this. I like Lakes work in the Blondie & Dagwood classics

[@fromthesidelines]

Obviously, he was doing his best to emulate "Dagwood" here, right down to the tight suit, bow tie, and hair style......

[@fromthesidelines]

And Hanley Stafford DID appear as "Mr. Dithers" on the RADIO version of "BLONDIE" (with Arthur Lake).

[@mjacobsable]

Not to mention his cackle.

[@Annie414100]

This was an adorable pilot. It's surprising that it didn't run, even though Ozzie & Harriet would have been running the same years, it could have played on a different night to have some variety. Arthur Lake had a very cute family!

[@wuggawuggaspritzelbo]

why this the greatest cinematic achievement of all time you people just aren't SMART to appreciate it!

[@Brace67]

The star of this sitcom was Patricia Lake, married to actor Arthur Lake (Dagwood Bumstead), and reputedly the daughter of Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst. She was raised as their niece since they never married.

[@tessdurberville711]

Not "reputedly". She was.

[@Brace67]

@@tessdurberville711 Apparently you are ‘in the know’ regarding this matter.

[@tessdurberville711]

@@Brace67 Mrs.Lake's resemblance to Mr.Hearst is clearly evident.

[@lydialilli4351]

@@Brace67 You're not such a know it all - Patricia Van Cleve WAS the daughter of Hearst and Davies and she even gave an interview about this right before she died. So before you act like you know differently, do your research.

[@Brace67]

@@lydialilli4351 I did my research you big blowhard. No one asked for your inaccurate opinion. Go do some more homework.

[@lydialilli4351]

Arthur Lake's wife, Patricia Van Cleve, was in reality the daughter of William Randolph Hearst and his mistress, Marion Davies.

[@jamesfox2579]

Yes.... Indeed!!

[@marcomacias3960]

i feel as though Arthur Lake is doing his Dagwood impression on his own show.

[@RayPointerChannel]

Maybe not Lake's Dagwood impression, just the only way he could portray a character.

[@John80220]

Apparently the pilot was originally shot in color, which is pretty surprising for 1954, and is posted elsewhere on KZbin, including here -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpiyqIefi56Kis0 . Sharples' music seems to have been taken directly from Sammy Timberg's scoring for the main titles for the 1940-41 Gabby cartoons, since the orchestrations and sound are virtually identical (the Flsiecher Studio was making their cartoons in Miami at that time, but went back to recording the music tracks in New York because of the problems getting studio musicians in South Florida.)

[@RayPointerChannel]

No, this was an original recording. It's not lifted from the cartoons. That would have been a legal as well as a technical issue since Paramount owned the Master Soundtrack rights and hadn't yet sold their old cartoon library for television syndication. The orchestra here is superior to the one used during the Miami years. The music was licensed from Famous Music.

[@johnreitz4320]

Kinda easy to see why this didn't make it. BTW: Lake was an early surfer. Used to surf with Edsel Ford.

[@SuperWolsey]

Really??

[@drednm]

Original story by MARION DAVIES and Arthur Lake.

[@fromthesidelines]

Hmmm....using Winston Sharples' "It's A Hap-Hap-Happy Day" {from Max Fleischer's "Gulliver's Travels"} as a theme, eh? Almost expected Popeye or Gabby to walk through that front door......

[@marcomacias3960]

the music i hear in the show are the same ones used on Hanna Barbara cartoons like Yogi Bear

[@ericalbany]

Nice to see Walter Catlett.

[@JJJBRICE]

Arthur Lake and Ozzie Nelson were great performers , however the Nelson family had the magic . I can see why Lake would attempt this as his Dagwood character was similar to the Ozzie Nelson character .

[@KazzKarenLewsader]

Is there a way to see the entire series?

[@MBFLA45]

This IS the entire series.

[@RubyCube2022]

@@MBFLA45 😂

[@pgh45rpms]

Interesting ro see this unsold Fifties show, even with the canned laughter. But Arthur Lake can't seem to get out of that Dagwood character. He retired from show biz after the tv "Blondie" series failed in 1957.

[@kimberlyk912]

The "Senor" was on an episode of I love Lucy

[@erichwise9936]

Hans Conried. Perhaps better known as playing Uncle Tonoose on Make Room for Daddy and Wrongway Feldman on Gilligan's Island.

[@crgrbrts]

…and, years earlier, 23:14 one of the most versatile and prolific radio actors.

[@patdoyle3686]

Even in 1954 there were series like this one that was not very good

[@rcruz4510]

They weren't hurting for money. So - of course they could put out the money needed and indulge in a television series. Additionally, seeing Arthur shirtless was always a pleasure.

[@JJJBRICE]

This is so similar to Blondie i am surprised that King Features did not raise objections , In the final opinion : Ozzie Nelson = to Arthur Lake , the Nelson family > than the Lake family .

[@lorianne4608]

What a shame! It was hilarious!!

[@robertyglesias3064]

1954 the year i was born

[@FloridaMugwump]

3:45. "Mixed up Mugwump?" I take offense to that one. Mugwumps refused to vote for their party's nominee because he was a crook.

[@1dannaa]

pat lake named her daughter Marian after her mother Marian Davies'. marian davies left pat lake over 10 million dollars. pat has marian's eyes and smile . fun show. thanks

[@manofmanyinterests]

Personally, I detest Ozzie and Harriet. I would have watched this, if produced as a series, anytime.

[@nordvegfigg7746]

I agree. Ozzie and Harriet was like roomfuls of beige wallpaper, with beige carpeting and beige trim to me. Boring as anything. At least this pilot had some gags and a few laughs. Way too close to the Blondie movies though: Blonde sensible wife, two kids (boy and girl), right down to the JC Dithers-like boss. The last Blondie movie had only been made 4 years earlier. Arthur Lake was trying too hard to recreate Blondie on TV.

[@howardmoore1332]

Arthur Lake acts too much like Dagwood Bumstead; in fact the entire show, with the son and daughter and blonde wife, could easily have been Blondie. No wonder it wasn’t picked up.

[@renesagahon4477]

This pilot's lots of things ... funny is not one of them

[@nordvegfigg7746]

Yeah most of the gags either fall flat or wear out their welcome fast.